Automobile top-lifter.



L. jormsow.

AUTOMOBILE TOP LIFTER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30. 1914.

Patented A lf. 13, 1915.

e a rman cleric.

LEWIS Jonnson, or vronnon, Louisiana, assrenonfor THIRTY-.FUUR'ONE-HUN-nnanrns no Jean 1*. Knnnnnr, 'rninrY-rnnnn onn-nnnnnsnrns 'ro wenrnn s.LEYENS, am) THIRTY-THREE onn-nzunnnnnrns 'ro cnnnnns scnunzn, ALL orMONROE, Lou siana.

AUTOMOBILE TOP LIFTER.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Application filed June 30, 1914. Serial No. 8%.2455.

1 u an whom it may. concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS Jonnsoiv, a-

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Monroe, in the parish ofOuachita and State of Louisiana, have made certain new and usefulImprovements in Automobile TopLifters, of which the following is. aspecification.

My invention is an improvement in automobile top lifters, and has forits object to provide mechanism. for use in connection with automobilesand like vehicles having extension tops, for permitting the top to beraised from one of the seats, without touch ing the top, and without thenecessity of alighting from the vehicle.

In the drawings: Figure '1 is a side View of an automobile provided withthe improvement with parts in section, Fig. 2 is a detail side view of aportion of the mechanism, and Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectionthrough the lifting mechanism.

The present embodiment of the invention is shown in connection with thebody 1 of an automobile, having the usual front and rear seats 2 and 3,and the top 4: is supported by rear bows 5, 6, 7 and 8 respectively. Thearms of the bows 5, 6 and 7 at the opposite sides of the vehicle arepivoted to plates 9, the said plates being seemed to the ends of a shaft10 which is journaled transversely of the body beneath the rear seat 3,in openings'll in the body, and the shaft is supported by ball bearings12 at the inner sides of the openings 11.

The plates 9 arerigid with the shaft 10 and. the, shaft is provided witha radial arm 13 near one end, but within the body of the vehicle. Thelower end of the shaft 13 is forked, and one end of a link 14 isreceived between the arms 15 of thof'ork. The link extends forwardlywithin the body, and the front end of the link is offset downwardly, asindicated at 14, and is pivoted to a lever to 16. intermediate the endsof the lever.

The lever 16 is pivoted to the body, as in-.

dicated at 17, at the lower end of the lever, and the said lever isprovided with latch mechanism indicated at 18, for coiiperating with anotched sector 19 secured to the body. The sector is provided withnotches 20,for engagement by the latch mechanism to hold the lever inadjusted position.

Each arm of the rear how 8. is provided with an' angular extension 21 atits lower end, and the end of each extension remote from the'bow isrigidly connected to the ad- ]acent plate '9, as shown more particularlyin Fig. 2. A bow is arranged between the front ends of the top and thehow 5, the said how comprising abody 22, and arms 23.

The arms 23 extend laterally from the body of the bow, and each arm isbent outward near its lower end, then again downward and the free end ofeach arm is provided with. an eye 24.

A front bow comprising a body and arms 26 is arranged in front of thebow 22-28. Each of the arms 26 extends downward and is then bent toextend'rearwardly, as indicated at 27. Intermediate the ends of theportion 27 an eye 28 is provided, and the eye of'each arm is engaged bythe outward bent portion of the adjacent arm "the adjacent arm of thebow 5, to limit the downward movement of the front end of the top. i

The usual holding steadying straps 32 are provided, each strap beingsecured to thedash ofthc vehicle at one end, asindicated at 33. andhaving a snap book 34 at its other end for engaging the eye 24 of theadjacent.

23. of the bow 22-23; In use, when the top is folded, it lies normallyin the dotted line position ofFig. l, the bows 5, (3, 7 and 8 lying oneabove the other. and with the flexible material of the top folded. Whenit is desired to raise the topqlnlever ll) is ielcascil fromthc sector19,

and is i-txvlihgrwmrwanlly, as indicated in full lines in Fig.1 Thisrearward swinging of the lover oscillates the shaft '10. and the plates3 and th top is swung forwardly iizio extended 3;: itivn. The snap hooksEli are engngwl with the ey and the top is thus held exteinled. Thii6 isheld V and bows, of a sha in rearward position and with the-topextended, by the engagement 'of the latch meghanism with the rear notchof the sector.

I claim: l

1;. The combination with the vehicle having an extension to comprising acovering t journaled transversely of the body of the vehicle near therear end thereof and having a radial arm, a lever pivoted to the frontoffthe vehicle and having means for holding it in adjusted position, alink connecting the lever to the radial arm of the shaft, a platerigidly secured to each-end of the shaft outside the body, the rear bowof the top having at the lower end of each arm a rigid forwardextensionrigidly connectedto the adjacent plate, the intermediate bowsbeing pivoted to the plate, one of the front bows having eyes forengagement by holding means to hold the top extended and a hingedconnection between the front bows and one of the rear bows forpermitting the front bows to fold upon the rear bows.

The combination with the vehicle hav- (not shown) ing an extension top,said top comprising a covering; and bows for supporting the covering,each bow comprising a body and arms, of a shaft j ournaled transverselyof the body of the vehicle nearthe rear end thereof, a. plate rigidlysecured to each end of the shaft outside of thebody of'the vehicle, therear bow of the top'having at the lower end of each arm a rigid forwardextension rigidly connected to the adjacent plate, means connected withthe shaft for oscillating the same to raise and lower the top, and a andone of the rear bows for permitting the front bows to fold upon the rearbows.

3.- The combination with a vehicle having an extension top, said topcomprising a covering, a series of rear bows, and a series of frontbows, a plate at each side, the rearlIlOSt bowof the rear bows beinrlg'idly connected withthe plates, and t e ront bows of the rear bowsbeing pivotedto the plates, a shaft rigidly connected with the platesand journaled in the vehicle body, means for oscillating the shaft,means for holding the shaft in adjusted position, said front bows beinghinged to the rear bows,

to fold upon the said rear bows, and means in connection with the frontbows for engaging the rear bows'to hold the front bows in extendedposition.

4. The combination with the vehicle hav- I ing an extension top, saidtop comprising a covering and a series of bows, a plate at each side ofthe top, the 'rearmost bow being rig idly connected with the plates andthe other bows being pivoted to the plates, a shaft connecting theplatesand rigid therewith 1 L and journaled in the vehicle body, meansfor oscillating the shaft to raise or lower the top, releasable meansfor holding the shaft in adjusted position, said means comprising alever pivoted to the vehicle body adjacent to one of the seats, a'radialarm on the shaft,

anda link connecting the le er to the arm; LEWIS X JOHNSON.

mar

Witnesses I'IENRY D. Brass, R. L.,PROPHIT, Jr.-

